


Night Shift

by LadyJaguar



Category: Holby City
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Hospital, Comedy, F/M, Lions, M/M, Multi, Relationship(s), Shapeshifting, Snakes, Strong Female Characters, Wolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-14
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-08-23 16:36:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16622516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyJaguar/pseuds/LadyJaguar
Summary: -  What if Gaskell's research had unforeseen circumstances, and it all went horribly wrong? The night shift at Holby is about to get lively.-  Roxanna lives! But she is in the HDU, semi-conscious, with Gaskell's opiates in her system, keeping her quiet. Can Hanssen save the day, or will he be distracted by his animal instincts?-  Meanwhile, everyone else has grown suspicious of Gaskell's activities and are determined to take him down. With the hospital in lockdown, it's a fight to stop Gaskell from wreaking chaos. If he reaches the outside, the whole world might just come to an end.





	1. Fumes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night shift has just begun. Jac has come out of a gruelling operation on Josh Bloom after discovering he has the same tumour-riddled neo-conduit as she has in her body, and she's mad as hell. 
> 
> Then she discovers the hard way that John Gaskell has also been working on something that could drastically alter the genetic make-up of anyone it comes into contact with. 
> 
> That night Holby Hospital is about who is willing to obey the laws of the jungle.

 

 

Jac had had enough of John's grovelling justifications. He made her sick, the way he was able to convince others of his brilliance. She held the test tube, enjoying the panic on his face.

"Jac, please. Put that down. It's very dangerous..."

SMASH!

The sound of breaking glass felt so good. She picked up another test tube. "You're going to give me this operation. You're going to take it all out of me and you're going to do it right now."

SMASH!

"Don't do that! Jac, you don't understand..."

The air felt thick and smelled unpleasant. Jac wanted out of there, but she was determined to get the assurance she came for.

"I understand perfectly. You may have tricked the others but I've always had your number." As she said it, her throat felt tight. She rubbed her chest, feeling strange. Something was happening to her. Something....

"Jac? Tell me how you're feeling. Doesssss it hurt?" He moved closer to her. She saw his tongue flicker between his lips, but that couldn't be. His tongue was forked, like that of a snake. She was hallucinating!

"What was in that test tube?" She backed away from him as he advanced. His skin was changing, becoming yellow, his eyes, the pupils like diamonds.

"You've exposed usssssss both. I warned you," he hissed. "Chaossssss, Msss Naylor. Enjoy what you have done."

He dropped out of sight.

Frantically she looked around. He had gone. Disappeared before her eyes. Her breathing was laboured but her eyesight was .... she blinked .... pin sharp. Her ears flattened, picking up sounds from far down the corridor.

How could that be?

Her nose twitched ..... oh God the smells! Blood, delicious and dark. Disinfectant, acrid and unpleasant. Cut flesh, making her mouth water. Sweat, urine, smells that told her prey was near. A whole building full of prey just there for the taking! She licked her lips. They felt strange and furry.

Hungry....

She stepped forward and dropped to all fours. A sharp stab of pain made her whimper. A glass shard from the test tube was digging into her paw. 

Wait. What?

She staggered over to the mirror and stared. It was impossible! She didn't recognise the thing staring back at her. Her face, yes, but her nose, long and pointed, the tip black and moist. Out of her head had sprouted two furry red ears. She was changing as she watched. Changing into a ... 

Fox? No, not a fox. A wolf. A big, dark red she-wolf. She snarled, showing two glistening white incisors, then roared in frustration. Where was that snake? He was dead as soon as she could catch him.

But first, her paw throbbed, the glass splinter sending waves of pain up her leg. She sat on her haunches, unable to think properly. No, she was thinking, She needed meat. Meat and a mate. But first she had to get this wretched thing out of the pad of her paw. She lay down and gently nibbled at the glass fragment, licking at the sore spot when the glass was removed. Her saliva soothed the wound. 

Feeling better, she looked around. Where was John-snake? He would make a tasty meal. She hated that snake. Didn't know why, or rather she did, but her animal form didn't. It just knew it needed to kill and eat, then find her mate. 

Priorities. 

As she stood on all fours again, something didn't feel right around her back end. Looking round, she saw a long feathered tail, dark red. Keeping it in sight, she wagged it gently. 

Emma-pup would love to play with that.

A wave of sadness came over her. She had young but they weren't here. Where were they? She needed to find food and take it back for Emma-pup. Home, safety....

Priorities. 

She had to get out. She had to feed and then to hunt down that snake. Mind set, Jac-Wolf lunged for the door.

 


	2. Nice kitty...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanssen succumbs to the poison in Gaskell's laboratory, and discovers his inner lion.

Hanssen, Ric and Sacha were making their way to the basement. Fletch came running up behind them.

"Where's Jac? She won't answer her pager."

"She's with Gaskell." Sacha looked grim.

"Why? What's going on?"

Hanssen explained as they took the lift down to the basement. The door opened but no one was in sight.

Then they heard it.

"What was fuck was that?" From Fletch.

A roar reverberated down the corridor. They ran towards the door to Gaskell's lab, shouting Jac's name.

Sacha tried the door. "It's locked."

"Not for long." Ric charged at the door with a fire extinguisher. As it burst open, a streak of red charged through it with another deafening roar.

"Woah!' They scattered, sprawling on the floor. As they came to their senses, Hanssen heard a low growl. He turned slowly.

The sight before him almost made him lose control of his bladder. The creature was huge, the size of a fully-grown human, stalking towards him, ears flattened, lips pulled back. The wolf thing backed him up against the wall, teeth bared.

"Stay still, Henrik," Ric said.

Hanssen froze as the wolf sniffed at him. It seemed to stare right into his very soul. The long muzzle pushed into his crotch and gave him another good sniff. Finally the wolf huffed and turned towards the others. It appraised Sacha, then Ric and finally Fletch. When he had been given the intimate sniff treatment, the wolf sat on its haunches and whined.

Fletch smiled nervously at the others. "Good doggy," he said. He reached out to pat the wolf's head and it snarled loudly, snapping its teeth at him. As he jumped back, the wolf loped up the corridor and into the lift.

"Patting a dog's head is a sign of dominance. That's why it snapped," Ric said.

"And you're the Wolf Whisperer now, are you?" Fletch shot back at him.

Hanssen was on his phone. "Lock down," he ordered. "Yes, I'm sure. No one leaves the building and absolutely no one comes in."

Ric looked at Fletch. "Good doggy? Really?"

"What else was I supposed to say? I don't know, that thing looked familiar. It looked like ...." He shook his head. "It can't be, but it looked like Jac. Not that I'm saying she's a dog but ..." They were all staring at him. "I'll go upstairs and warn the others."

Hanssen went into the lab and looked around. The place looked as if a tornado had been through it. Papers on the floor, broken glass, and a faint sour smell.

"Don't go in," Sacha warned. "Come out and shut the door."

"There's no one here." Hanssen looked around at the damage, the faint smears of blood on the floor. "What the hell has been going on down here?"

"You tell us," Ric said.

"I was under the impression John was working on his wretched neo-conduit."

As he stepped forward, he slipped, falling against the work surface. When he put his hand down to steady himself, it came back wet. The liquid was slightly yellow and smelled sour. He grimaced, wiping his hand.

"What is that?" Sacha asked from the door. He was reluctant to enter.

"I don't know. I don't know anything any ...." Hanssen faltered. He felt strange, and knew instinctively it was because of the substance on his hand. What if Jac had been exposed to the same liquid? His internal organs felt as if they were moving around inside his body. He stared at Sacha in horror.

"Close the door!"

"Henrik, what's happening?"

"Don't come near me!" He fell to his knees. A spike of pain shot through his body, curling him up in agony. As he writhed and groaned, his glasses were knocked off, skittering across the floor.

Ric and Sacha rushed forward.

"Don't touch me!" His voice was a low growl, unlike anything that had passed his lips before.

"Back away," Ric said softly. "Look at his eyes."

"They're orange." Sacha looked at Ric in horror. "He's..."

Hanssen stared at his hands, the fingers spasmed into claws. He lashed out, ripping the suit from his body, crouching down as his spine lengthened and the muscles on his legs began to expand.

"Henrik, your face..." Sacha looked horrified.

"This can't be happening." Ric stared in morbid fascination as Hanssen's body was replaced by that of a large feline. It was facing away from them, looking up at the ceiling. Its nose lifted as it scented the air. Shaking its head, a magnificent rufus mane fluffed out around its noble head.

Ric and Sacha were both in shock.

"It's a lion," Sacha said, although that was perfectly obvious. The sound of his voice made the beast turn slowly to face them. The feline nose wrinkled as the big cat growled and began to advance.

"Nice kitty," Ric murmured, taking Sacha's arm and backing them slowly away. "Keep eye contact with it. Don't show fear." He reached the door and pulled the handle, slamming the door just as the Hanssen-lion sprang forward.

The loud thud against the door made them wince. Inside the door, the lion was going wild, hissing, spitting and lashing out. The sound of breaking glass, thuds and growls as the big cat caromed around the lab was deafening. Another thud against the door made them run for the lift.

 

******

 

Hanssen had to get out of the lab, but being a lion, he had lost the use of opposable thumbs. Once the rage and frustration had morphed into dispair, he pawed at the door, swiped it and lunged at it. In the small part of his brain that was still human, he considered the problem, finally using his teeth to carefully turn the handle. The door opened just enough for him to get one paw round it, and after that it was easy. 

The humans weren't around, but he could smell fear and blood. He was shocked at how much that excited him. Sharper, less pleasant smells assaulted his senses. Perfume, cleaning products, sterilising fluid. He padded through the corridor, unsure where he was going at first. The sense of loss and loneliness pulled him forward. He needed to be somewhere. It was important. 

Roxanna.

When he shoved through the door into the unit, the nurses there screamed and cowered. He didn't think he was that terrifying. But then he remembered. He was a lion. Luckily he had eaten lunch and the nurses held no appeal to him. He was only interested in one person.

He padded over to Roxanna's bedside and sniffed at her. Her aroma was familiar, but masked with synthetic smells that weren't so pleasant. He licked her dainty hand, so vulnerable with the line going into it. His mate was injured and hurting, and there was nothing he could do. He put his head on the bed next to her and growled softly, hoping she would sense the vibration and wake up. But she breathed rhythmically, and did not stir.

 

 


	3. One of our consultants is missing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaskell's snake contemplates Lofty as a snack and Hanssen realises there is a downside to shapeshifting.

The hospital had been evacuated as soon as Henrik had given the word. As it was the middle of the night, visiting time was long gone. As a result, the wards were eerily quiet. Only the most desperately ill stayed where they were, the wards locked and guarded by armed officers. 

"We know there are at least two wild creatures roaming the hospital. Possibly three," Ric told the police. "The wolf and the lion are two of our most senior consultants, so don't shoot them."

"And the third one?"

"We're not sure, but one of our other consultants is also missing."

Sacha rushed up to them. "Dom just called me. Apparently there's a snake in the staffroom."

"Well, that fits." Ric smiled tightly at Sacha. "I hope you didn't tell him there's also a lion in the laboratory."

The police officer cleared his throat. "How big is the snake? Are we talking a few inches or a couple of feet or what?" He obviously still thought they were having him on. 

"We'd better go and find out." Ric led the way. As they walked up the stairs, Serena joined them. 

"What's going on? I heard something about a snake."

"It's Gaskell," Sacha replied.

"Well, I don't like him either but I think you're being a bit ..." She stopped as they reached Keller Ward. Dom rushed out to meet them. 

"It's huge. And .... it's cornered Lofty."

They ran back to the staff room and looked in. Dominating the room was a huge, glossy cobra with sharp fangs and a yellow hood. It swayed in front of Lofty, mesmerising him, the tail flipping from side to side. 

"Okay, that's bigger than I thought," the police officer said. "It has to be at least three metres long."

The snake was coiled, its head rearing up, ready to strike. Lofty was backed up against the sink, clutching the work surface, his eyes wide with terror. As they watched, the snake hissed, splattering Lofty's face with venom. He looked at Dom through the window, silently pleading with him to come to the rescue. 

"You can't go in there," Ric said. "If you do, you'll both die."

"I can't just watch him get eaten!" Dom looked around for something to use as a weapon. When he turned back, Lofty had gone. "Where is he? Oh God, where is he?"

Where Lofty had been, a chunky, fluffy creature cowered before the mighty serpent. Before anyone could stop him, Dom flung open the door and charged at the snake with a chair. The snake shot up through the heating duct and wiggled away. 

"Damn it!" Dom looked down at the creature. "Lofty?"

The creature sat on its hind legs, grooming its face. At Dom's voice it looked up, then put its front paws on his leg. He knelt down to fuss the brown furry head, and the creature's nose twitched endearingly.

Jason had appeared behind them, looking curious. "It's a wombat. They're native to Australia. Does Lofty have Australian cousins? It wouldn't be logical if  not."

"Jason, nothing about this is logical," Ric said.

"Well, if Jac has turned into a wolf, that would make sense. Wolves are very protective of their young. Mr. Hanssen as a lion is..."

"Henrik is a lion?" Serena gasped. "How did that happen? Where is he?"

Dom was stroking the wombat. "How do I get Wofty back?"

Ric looked askance at him. "Wofty? Are you serious?"

"I can't keep saying Lofty the Wombat, can I?"

"We need answers to these questions," Jason said gravely. 

"We need to find Hanssen," Ric said. "And there's only one place I know he could be."

 

******

 

Hanssen must have dozed off. He woke with a start and looked around, unsure where he was or what had happened. The obs monitor still beeped softly, a comforting sound telling him Roxanna was still in the land of the living. 

But something wasn't right. He blinked and stared at the body on the bed right next to him. 

Where Roxanna had been, a big cat lay on its side, breathing deeply and steadily. It was a lioness, with pale fur the same shade as Roxanna's hair, and attractive dark rings around the eyes. 

Hanssen looked at his hands. Human hands, streaked with blood. Nothing made sense. His eyesight was fuzzy. He needed his spectacles. 

They weren't on the bed or on the floor. He blundered around, finding his balance, looking for them. Gradually, the strength came back into his legs. He clutched the wall, waiting to feel safe enough to walk. All the time, he stared at Roxanna, or the lioness she now was. 

How had that happened? She hadn't been exposed to the poison. There was no way unless...

He groaned, realising it was his fault. He had licked her hand, attempting to heal her. He had done this!

"Roxanna," he whispered, his voice breaking. 

But wait. His brilliant mind was gathering facts, thinking of solutions, working out medical possibilities. He was human again, which meant she would be too. He hadn't damaged her irrevocably. 

John Gaskell had. The rage seethed in him, so strong he could feel his body changing again. Razor-sharp claws thrust through his knuckles, causing him to cry out in agony.  

NO! Anger made him shift into his animal form. Suppress it. Keep it down. Save it. Control it. 

He took deep breaths as the claws slowly retracted. Good. Suppression of emotion was something he was extremely good at. Finally, he could see it as an advantage.

But his first priority was to find his glasses. He was blind without them. Then he could seal off the laboratory to stop anyone else from being affected. He needed to warn Jac, if he could find her.

He walked out of the room as Meena was coming in. Her eyes widened as she saw him. 

"Mr. Hanssen..."

"Don't panic, Dr. Choudhury. I need to get to the basement to find my glasses. Then we'll sort out what's been happening." 

"But Mr. Hanssen, you need something else before that." She held out a fresh pair of scrubs. 

"I'm not going into theatre, Dr. Choudhury. I need..."

"Mr. Hanssen, you're naked!"

He looked down at himself. Not a stitch on. It was like that recurring nightmare he had, walking into the Boardroom without realising he had forgotten to dress. The imminent humiliation, the mockery.... 

Meena had averted her eyes. He snatched the scrubs from her and hastily put the trousers on. His skin was hot. He felt as if he were burning up. It was too hot to wear the top, or shoes, or anything else. 

"What's happening?" Meena asked. "Why is Miss Macmillan .... like that?"

Hanssen knew what he had to do, even though all his instincts were to stay with Roxanna, to guard her from harm. His duty was to the whole hospital, not just one person. 

"Dr. Choudhury, this is very important. I want you to stay here and guard her. Guard her with your life, you understand?" He gripped her shoulders, looking deep into her eyes so she would understand. 

"Mr. Hanssen, I'm scared."

"I know, child. So am I." He let her go. "But you have the courage of twenty lions. I wouldn't put my trust in anyone else. Understood?"

She nodded."Yes, Mr. Hanssen. I'll make sure Miss Macmillan is safe."

"If the situation is desperate, remember you can shift too. All it takes is bodily fluid from someone whose already been affected."

Now she looked alarmed. "Right..."

"Saliva, Dr. Choudhury. Bear that in mind."

 

He had no choice but to leave Roxanna in the young doctor's hands. As he walked down to the basement, he was hyperaware of how he was moving. He felt stronger, faster, more powerful than he had ever done before. The poison would be supremely dangerous in the wrong hands. If John escaped, the world was looking at a potential weapon of mass destruction. He couldn't let him leave the building. 

Which meant he had to kill him. His old friend. The one who had pulled him from the lake. When had he turned so bad? Or had he always been that way?

Down in the laboratory, he located his glasses, slightly bent but serviceable. He put them on, grateful to have his vision restored, and closed the lab door, changing the code so no one, including John, would be able to get back in. 

It was time to finish what Gaskell had started.

 

******

 

Fletch took the stairs two at a time, alerted by a call that said a large wolf was in Darwin Ward. As he turned the corner before the last flight, he froze. 

Sitting at the top of the stairs was the big red wolf, staring at him with emerald green eyes. 


	4. Woof!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fletch sees Jac in a new light, and Essie finds her knight in shining .... fur.
> 
> Hanssen finds an axe, and is determined to use it.

Fletch slowly ascended the stairs.

"Jac, I know you understand me," he said carefully. "You don't need to be scared..."

The wolf snarled and stepped forward.

"Okay, not scared. You don't need to be ... pissed off. I'm not going to hurt you."

He was halfway up the stairs. The wolf stood as he approached, then reared up on its hind legs. He staggered back, clutching the handrail, watching in awe as the wolf melted away, leaving Jac in its place, crouching on the floor. She stood up and looked around.

"What the hell happened to me?"

He couldn't speak, too intent on gawping at her. "Wow."

"Wow, what? I just want someone to tell me what the hell is going on?"

"Um..." Fletch couldn't help it. He couldn't take his eyes off her. She was magnificent in her nakedness, high breasts, firm thighs, her hair wild around her face. His ability to speak had completely deserted him.

"Fletch! What's wrong with you? I need to find Gaskell. And when I do, I'm going to tear him apart."

She opened the door to Darwin Ward. As she turned, he noticed the tail, just above her pert buttocks.

"Ummm, Jac...."

"What is it, Fletch?" Her voice was impatient.

"Uh, two things. One, you don't have any clothes on. And two ...." He grabbed the tail and gave it a pull.

The next thing he knew, he was flat on his back. Jac stood one foot on his chest. His jaw was throbbing.

"Do that again and I'll rip out out your throat." She stepped back, releasing him.

He sat up with an effort, rubbing his jaw. "Right. I'll bear that in mind."

"You do that." She opened the door to Darwin and walked in.

Frieda was in the middle of the ward. She looked up and did a double-take, her files dropping to the floor.

"Get me some scrubs," Jac said.

"And don't mention the tail," Fletch added.

Frieda's eyes widened, but she just nodded. "Okay."

It took a few moments to adjust the seam at the back of the scrub trousers to accommodate the tail. Jac waited with barely concealed impatience as Fletch updated her on the situation.

"Great. So now I have to do everything I can to keep him alive. This thing is still inside me, Fletch. He's the only one who can remove it."

"You're kidding, right? There's no way he's coming within a hundred feet of you with a scalpel now."

"Thank you for your gallantry but I think that decision is mine."

"No, Jac. The man is loose in Holby, turning people into animals! His days as a surgeon are officially over."

She looked askance at him. "That makes no sense."

"No, but neither does you appearing in front of me starkers after changing from wolf to human, does it?"

With perfect timing, Ric and Serena walked in, followed by Dom, pushing a large chubby rodent in a wheelchair.

"What's that?" Jac pointed to it.

"It's Lofty," Dom said. "He's a wombat."

"That figures," Frieda intoned. 

"Okay." Fletch massaged his temples, thinking. "Right, we know that whatever Jac and Lofty were poisoned with, the effect doesn't last long, so..."

"So what do you call this?" Jac smacked him around the face with her tail. "The poison has changed our genetic make-up. Whatever Gaskell has been cooking up has done this. We can't afford to let him leave the building."

"Gaskell is the snake? The one that spat at Lofty and turned him into this?" Dom jigged the wombat, who looked fed up.

"Yes. He changed just before I did. That means he can change everyone if he gets close enough."

"So no getting within spitting distance," Fletch added, earning a terse look from Jac.

"No. What's the situation downstairs?"

"AAU is sealed off. Donna and Zav are holding the fort, getting everyone out who can walk," Serena said. "Essie and Sacha on Keller. Any walking wounded have been evacuated."

"We need to find that snake," Ric said. "Any ideas as to where he could be?"

"I might have an idea," Jason piped up. "It's quite simple really. He'll be in the heating pipes. Did you know that in New York, people find large snakes in the sewage system all the time? People flush them down the toilet and they can live there years. Crocodiles, too. I once saw a programme...."

"Yes, yes, thank you, Jason," Ric cut off his chatter. 

"The heating pipes," Jason said determinedly. 

Fletch squeezed Jason's upper arm. "That's brilliant. Of course he'll be in there. He can get round the whole hospital undetected like that."

"But what is he planning?" Serena asked anxiously. 

"We need to find Hanssen." From Jac. "Someone needs to go down to HDU. I'm guessing he won't want to leave Roxanna. I'll go down and check."

"Not without me you won't," Fletch said forcefully.

She scowled at him. "I'm a wolf, Fletch. I think I can look after myself."

"Yes, but both of you should go, just in case something happens to one of you," Ric pointed out reasonably.

Jac's lips compressed. "Whatever." She walked towards the stairwell, not waiting for Fletch to follow. 

He caught up with her halfway down the stairs. 

"That tail is sexy."

"Really." She used her most uninterested tone.

"We might die, so it's got to be said."

"I have no intention of dying, thank you."

He ran to keep up with her. "I could only think of one word when you changed back into being human."

She didn't reply. They reached HDU and walked down the corridor. 

"Want to know what it was?"

"Not really."

He stopped her, grinning stupidly. "Woof!"

"That isn't funny, Fletch." But her lips twitched in a reluctant smile. 

A scream pierced the air. Their tenuous moment of intimacy was lost as they began to run towards HDU.

 

******

 

Hanssen made it up to Keller. On the way he had armed himself with an axe, normally used for breaking the seal to the fire extinguisher. Sacha saw him coming and unlocked the door. He looked him up and down, taking in his minimal clothing. 

"What happened?"

"It's a long story. Have you seen John?"

"You mean the snake? Not since he disappeared up into the heating ducts." Sacha looked anxiously above him. "He could be there right now. What's he waiting for?"

"No doubt he wants to cause as much chaos and fear as possible. I suspect he's enjoying every single moment. Call the police outside and find out what's happening out there."

Sacha picked up the phone and began to dial. 

Hanssen went to the staff room and looked around. The vent to the heating duct had been ripped away, so he suspected that was where Gaskell had escaped. He gave it a wide berth and opened the fridge, suddenly ravenously hungry. He gulped down some water and ripped open a packet of sushi, savouring the smell of fish. 

"Mr. Hanssen, what's happening?"

Essie stood there, her Bambi eyes wide as she watched him.

He shoved the last piece of sushi in his mouth and washed it down with more water, feeling calmer. He was still hungry, but the urgency had passed. When he turned to her, she gasped and stepped back. 

"Your eyes, they're yellow!"

"Never mind that. You need to attend to your patients, Nurse de Lucca."

"But you don't understand. All this is my fault!" Her eyes filled with tears, causing her eyeliner to run down her face. "If I hadn't financed his project, if I hadn't supported him..... You must do something! Someone has to take control now Ms. Tate isn't here! Where's the cavalry? Why isn't anyone doing anything!"

"Nurse de Lucca, control yourself!" The claws shot from his knuckles. Essie screamed softly and backed away. "I'm doing what I can, woman. Can't you see that?"

"You're eating!"

"Because I'm hungry!" He shouted at her. What came out was a lion's roar. It took a huge effort to calm himself. She watched, stunned as the claws slowly retracted. "Essie, come away from the air vent. It's not..."

To his horror the snake's tail slipped down behind Essie. She gasped as the tail whipped around her throat and pulled her back up to the ceiling, her legs kicking frantically. 

"Noooooooooo!"

Sacha pushed past Hanssen and grabbed Essie's legs to pull her back down. Hanssen helped him, swiping at the snake with the axe. The blade bit into flesh and the snake released her suddenly, letting them all fall to the floor in a heap, Essie's chest heaving as she tried to get oxygen back into her lungs. 

"You saved me!" Her eyes were adoring as she stared up at Sacha. They with both smeared with the snake's blood.

"I'll always keep you from harm. I love you, Essie."

Hanssen watched their passionate kiss with resignation. He didn't have the heart to tell them they were about to shift into animals as well. 

"Oh God, what's happening now?" Essie frantically rubbed her stomach. Sacha was doing the same. 

"Henrik? What's happening?" He asked, wide-eyed. 

"Bodily fluids from the snake," Hanssen said wearily. As he said it, two round furry ears sprouted from Sacha's head. His nose lengthened, and dark fur began to spread over his hands. 

"It won't last," Hanssen said in the same exhausted voice. "Just don't infect anyone else, for God's sake. And when you turn back to human form, you'll be naked. Bear that in mind."

"Bare, bear! Oh Mr Hanssen, you are funny," Essie giggled. "Look, Sacha's a bear!"

A glum-looking brown bear sat in Sacha's place. Essie laughed harder, the laugh becoming a cackle as she shifted into a magpie, monochrome with a long black tail. She hopped onto the work surface and pecked at the remains of the sushi. 

Sacha-bear eyeballed Hanssen, then turned away. In the doorway, he stood up and began to scratch his back against the door jamb. 

"Can you understand me?" Hanssen asked. It occurred to him that shapeshifters might be able to understand each other.

The bear nodded, still scratching.

"Sacha? You understand me?" He asked again, just to be sure.

The bear stopped scratching and gave nother nod. Essie came to sit on the bear's back. She squawked, nodding her pert little head.

"Good. Guard this ward. If you see the snake, don't kill it." He picked up the axe again. It was time to find Ric and Jac, and stop Gaskell before he caused any more problems.

 

 


	5. Gaskell's Menagerie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meena has defend herself against Roxanna, until help comes from an unlikely source.
> 
> And due to John's duplicity, Hanssen finds the spotlight, and the blame, turned on himself.
> 
> Meanwhile, Holby's menagerie is growing...

Meena had never felt so alone. HDU was eerily quiet, the two nurses working in the next office with the two other patients. The lioness that had been Roxanna was still snoozing peacefully. By rights, she should have been waking up, but Meena was no longer sure she wanted her to. What if she tried to eat her?

She remembered what Hanssen had said, about the bodily fluids helping her to shift if she needed to. But if that were true, there was no telling what she would shift into. It could be something really lame, like a mouse or anything that would be a perfect snack for a hungry lion.

And that aside, the thought of sticking her finger in the lion's mouth and licking the saliva off it was more than gross.

She looked at Roxanna's notes, then back at the bed. The solution used for hydration didn't look right. It was almost as if a clear oil had been added to it, but that couldn't be right. 

She checked the notes. The drip had been changed an hour before by Professor Gaskell. Why would the great man deign to do such a menial task? That was nurses work. 

Something didn't feel right. Meena shone a light into the lioness's pupils and saw them contract slightly. She was on the edge of consciousness, just below the horizon. 

"Roxanna," she whispered, feeling foolish. 

The lioness shifted. Her eyelids fluttered open and she growled softly before lifting her head, looking around her.

"It's okay. I mean, you're a lion," Meena explained hurriedly. "And Mr. Hanssen's a lion. You've been exposed to something made by Professor Gaskell but it's okay, you won't be a lion forever. You will be naked though," She finished lamely.

The lioness stared at her. Two amber eyes blinked and focussed on her face. For the first time, to occurred to Meena that the amount of opiates needed to subdue Roxanna was no way adequate enough to floor a fully grown lioness. 

Another growl, and Roxanna struggled to a seated position. Her nose wrinkled at the antiseptic smell in the room. At the same time, she seemed to sense the line in her arm. This time she roared, pulling away. Blood spurted across Meena's face as the line slipped out of the vein. 

"Oh no," Meena whispered, as the lion jumped to the floor and looked around. She was still groggy, stumbling, blinking, confused. When she saw Meena, she roared again, her razor-sharp incisors mere inches from Meena's face. 

"Miss Macmillan!"

The frantic shout seemed to calm her. She sat back, considering Meena, who backed into a corner as far as she could go. After a moment, Roxanna dabbed her with a giant paw. 

Meena was terrified, her stomach churning. The lioness was considering her as a potential snack, no doubt wondering which bit to munch on first. She felt the bile rise in her throat, seeing those wicked claws as they came swiping towards her. She screamed as loudly as she could, her last line of defence. 

Nothing. 

She looked around her, and realised she was no longer on the floor. She was ... flying. The top of her head almost touched the ceiling, tiny wings buzzing. She was a bee? Or worse, a wasp? Great. Why couldn't she be a....

No. She had a beak, long and curving, and shimmering green feathers. A humming bird! She felt a sense of lightness and joy as the lioness chased her around the room, trying to swipe her from the air. But she was too quick, darting in any direction she chose, infuriating the big cat, who roared in frustration. 

The door burst open. She headed for it, but was beaten back by a huge red wolf charging through the opening towards the lioness. The two beasts clashed and fell to the ground, rolling and tumbling together. 

Meena hovered at a safe distance, watching is disblief as Fletch was pressed back against the wall in the corridor. The wolf and Roxanna scrabbled on the floor, snarling and spitting. In the melee, a jug of water was tipped over, drenching them both.

In an instance, they returned to human form, Jac on top of Roxanna, pinning her to the ground. Her fist was drawn back, ready to drive into her face. They were both completely naked.

Roxanna stared up at Jac with wide eyes, too stunned to speak. Jac hastily climbed off her and helped her to her feet, while Fletch rushed to get a hospital gown and scrubs. 

"On any other night, what I just saw might seem very strange," he said. 

Roxanna held her head in her hands. She looked dazed. 

"Please tell me what's happening. I nearly killed poor Dr. Choudhury."

Meena fluttered to her side and resumed her human form. She wasn't sure how she had done it, but it felt good to be standing up and her own size. 

"I won't take it personally," she said, drinking the water that Jac handed to her. "I'd like to know what's going on as well. And I never, ever want to see Mr. Hanssen naked again."

 

******

 

Hanssen wanted to get up to Darwin but his priority was the safety of the patients, and getting those who could make it out of the hospital. He made his way to the Main Reception to see what was happening. Fletch should be there, managing the rescue effort. Or if he was waylaid, then Ric or Serena. 

None of them were in sight. On the other side of a set of double doors, a man was talking to two unarmed officers. A bright spark of rage shot through him as he recognised the neat form of John Gaskell, his old friend. Through the door, he could hear him talking. 

"It's a terrible situation. Desperately sad. I know he's been struggling mentally since the incident last year with his son. I'm not sure anyone could ever get over something like that."

"Understood, but do you really believe he is capable of killing or maiming someone?"

A pause. "Yes, I'm afraid I do. I thought I knew him but tonight I don't see the man I recognise. I see someone in great emotional pain. I'm not surprised he's broken down completely."

"And you're saying he's taken some kind of hallucinatory drug? What did he say when you spoke to him?"

"I haven't spoken to him, but some of the other staff have, and from what they are saying, he's displaying all the signs of classic paranoia. Apparently, thinks he thinks all the staff have become animals."

"Animals?" The officer looked alarmed. 

"That's what they're saying. And he's a lion. I think he's hunting them."

"Christ," the officer muttered. "Okay, sir you need to stay here for now."

"I can't do that, I'm afraid. I have a very sick patient in HDU. Miss Macmillan needs stabilising before she can be evacuated."

Hanssen gripped the door, holding on to his anger. John was trying to pin all this on him? No! He felt the claws come out and a low growl reverberate in his throat. John turned his head slightly. Had he sensed it as well? Snakes were sensitive to vibration after all.

"I can stay for a while," John said, still looking in the direction where Hanssen was hiding. He had sensed him, Hanssen was sure of it. 

He headed back in the direction he had come. On the way he caught sight of a television screen showing the news, and realised he was in far more trouble than he thought. A woman reporter stood under a black umbrella in the memorial garden. It was still early in the morning and very dark, but all the emergency services and their vehicles lit up the night sky.

"Details are sketchy but once again, it seems drama has hit Holby Hospital, with initial reports suggesting that CEO Henrik Hanssen is having some kind of psychotic episode. Witnesses say he has been seen walking around the hospital, half-naked, armed with an axe. But others are reporting the sight of several large animals in the wards. No one can confirm or deny any of the claims, but the hospital is in lock-down and patients have been evacuated. Armed police officers are also in attendance. 

"Mr. Hanssen was the at the centre of last year's tragic circumstances at Holby when his son, Fredrik Johanssen, went on a shooting spree which results in the deaths of two people and left others with life-changing injuries...."

Hanssen left the room, unable to bear listening to any more. His mind was set. He had to stop John, but he had to make sure he had enough proof so that people would believe him. Just ripping him apart wasn't an option, although it was tempting. 

He made his way up to Darwin via the service stairs, relieved to discover the police hadn't got there yet. He pushed the door open and walked in. 

Serena, Ric and Dom stared at him, open-mouthed. A large rat-like creature sat in a wheelchair.

"What's that?" He pointed to it. 

"It's Lofty. He's a wombat," Dom said. "Mr. Hanssen..."

Hanssen's attention was on the wombat. It looked succulent and easy to catch. His mouth watered. 

Meat.

His fangs began to extend, but Dom stood in front of the rodent, blocking his view. 

"Out of my way," Hanssen growled. His stomach was hurting. He needed to eat.

"Henrik, stop!" From Serena. She slapped him hard across the face, making him blink. He came back to his senses. 

"Mrs. Campbell, I apologise," he said in his normal voice. 

"You should apologise to Wofty," Dom said. "He's just crapped himself."

Hanssen ignored him. "I've found Professor Gaskell. Whatever he's saying, don't believe him."

"Henrik, we know what's happening. That stuff in Gaskell's lab poisoned you and Jac and God only knows how many other people," Ric said. "Sacha's a bear, Essie's a bird and I've seen at least three baboons who are now raiding the staff rooms for food. To say it's all getting out of hand is an understatement."

'We need to keep everyone contained until we can find out if there is some kind of antidote. I need to speak to him," Hanssen said. 

"You can't! Not like you are. Have you seen yourself, Henrik? The police will shoot you on sight!"

Hanssen went into the toilets and looked in the mirror. 

A stranger looked back, one dressed in scrub trousers slung low on his narrow hips, bare feet, his chest streaked with blood. His eyes were yellow, betraying his inner beast, and he was still clutching the axe. He went back out.

"I see your point," he said. "Ric, you and Dr. Copeland do your best to contain the animals in one place. Mr.Levy will help you, once he's stopped being a bear. I don't know where Ms. Naylor is ..."

"She went down to check on Roxanna but that was half an hour ago." Serena looked concerned. "God, I've never needed Shiraz so desperately in my life."

"I'll go down there. Stay here. Keep safe.." His nostrils flared at the delicious scent of the wombat. "I have to go."

"What are you going to do?" Serena asked. 

"I don't know. I'm making this up as I go."

"You're the king of the jungle," Jason said. "In the Lion King, Mufasa roared and all his subjects followed him. That's what you must do."

"The Lion King is a cartoon," Ric pointed out irritably. 

"I know that, but it's based on truth, isn't it?"

"No Disney movies are based on truth," Dom muttered. 

"You need to go up to the roof and roar. Everyone will come to you, including Professor Gaskell. Then we can all take him down." Jason smiled. "It's obvious really."

Ric opened his mouth to speak, but Serena stopped him. "Surely it's worth a go. Henrik, you must go up to the roof."

"And roar?"

"Yes," Jason said. "Not as you are, as a lion. But be careful. You don't want to get shot. You might be tranquillised and put in a zoo."

"I'll go down to John's lab and see if there's some form of antidote," Ric said. 

"And if there isn't?" From Dom. 

"Then we're all screwed."

 

"I'll be on the roof then. " Hanssen turned to go, dropping onto all fours and padding out of the ward, a lion once more.

"I have to admit being a bit turned on by that," Dom said. "Even though he tried to eat my fiancé."

"Thanks for that." Lofty stood by the wheelchair, holding a cardboard kidney bowl over his privates. He looked offended.

"Okay, you heard what he said. Let's get to work." Ric motioned to Dom and Lofty. "You two check on Keller. See what the hell is happening."

Lofty hastily pulled on the scrubs Serena handed to him, and followed Dom and Ric out to the stairwell.

 

******

 

It was eerily quiet as Hanssen prowled through the hospital. Once he stopped and listened, sure he could hear something slithering above him just the other side of the ceiling tiles. He knew John was watching him, keeping him in sight. 

"I know you're there," he said aloud. "Come down and talk to me. Tell me why you're doing this."

The doors opened at the end of the corridor. A wolf, a tiny bird and a lioness walked towards him, followed by Fletch, holding a bundle of scrubs. They stopped when they saw him. 

"Okay, everyone back," Fletch said, spreading his arms to shield his companions. He looked alarmed at the size of Hanssen's lion, and the low growl that rumbled towards him down the corridor. 

The lioness bounded down towards Hanssen and bunted his cheek with her head, purring loudly. A primeval instinct within Hanssen told him this was his mate. Her smell, her familiar sounds, the way she was rubbing round him, all reinforced the message he had been longing for. He lowered his head and pushed against her, nipping the base of her tail.

"Okay, this is awkward," Jac said. She was human again, watching the two lions bonding.

Fletch handed her a pair of blue scrubs and she put them on. 

Meena dropped lightly to the floor. "Now I really am traumatised."

The lioness had spread herself out on the floor, her tail pushed to one side. The big lion was giving her hindquarters a good sniff. 

"Time to go, I think," Fletch said, herding them all back out.

"Where now?" Meena asked. 

"Darwin. That's where everyone is gathering. I hope someone has a plan because right now I'm all out of ideas."

They took the stairs two at a time, led by Jac-Wolf. None of them really knew what they would find when they arrived there.

 

 


	6. Animal Instincts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanssen rushes to save Roxanna, but when they are finally alone he has to exercise extreme restraint. It's hard being a gentleman when one is a lion.

 

As a lion, Hanssen found it was hard to focus on the task in hand. He was on his way to do.... what?

Not that it mattered, because there was an attractive lioness right in front of him, and she was giving him all the right signals. She smelled delicious too. When he gently bit the tender area on the back of her neck, she didn't roar in indignation and chase him away. Instead, she was spreading herself out, letting him breath in her musk, inviting him to....

No, that wasn't right. A strange word floated in his brain. Roxanna. 

Yes, but he needed to mate, and the lioness would be disappointed in him if he didn't do his duty. She needed a strong mate, not a weak one.

He moved over the lioness, replying to her soft sounds with reassuring ones of his own. This might hurt, my love...

 

******

 

Roxanna came to her senses. She was on her front, sprawled on the floor. 

Why the floor?

She flexed her hands. Human hands, not paws. The floor was cold linoleum, the air antiseptic, yet overlaid with musk, which didn't make any sense. 

A low growl behind her sent a shiver down her spine. 

Something was standing over her. Something big. She froze, reluctant to turn and see what it was. In her peripheral vision was a long golden leg and a massive paw.

Something pushed hard against her bottom, shoving her a few inches along the floor. The thing had backed up and was giving her backside a good sniff, growling in confusion.

It was definitely time to move. She scrabbled to her feet but was immediately flattened by a heavy weight on her lower back. With a huge effort she threw the weight off and spun round, facing her assailant. 

A huge lion was watching her, panting softly. 

"Henrik?" She scooted away to a safe distance. The lion advanced, a soft purr emanating from its throat. 

"Henrik, it's me, Roxanna." She had a horrible thought. What if it wasn't Henrik?

The lion was close enough to bite her head off if it wanted to, but instead, it rubbed his face against hers, transferring his scent with his long whiskers. The long mane tickled her nose as it pushed its head against hers like her cat Sox did at home. Instinctively, she scratched his ears, sending him into paroxysms of pleasure. 

"That's it. Good boy," she soothed. It was very strange, fussing a lion in such a way but if he was happy, it meant she could escape. Subtly she moved away, getting to her feet, ready to run for it. 

The lion looked up, almost as if it had read her thoughts. She sensed a change in its mood. If she was going to escape, it had to be now. 

The lion knocked her back before she had a chance to stand up. As it advanced, growling, she lashed out with her foot, connecting solidly with its nose. It roared in pain, and sprung. 

She landed on her back on the floor, nose to nose with Henrik the man. His hands were on her wrists, pinning her to the floor. His nose was bloody from where she had hit him. 

In the next second, she realised they were both naked. Something hard was pushing into her lower stomach. 

For a moment, neither of them could speak. Without his glasses, his eyes were soft. 

"Roxanna, did I hurt you?"

She squirmed slightly. "No, but Henrik, this is a really bad time to have an erection."

"What?" He leapt away from her as if scalded and sat with his legs drawn up. "Please tell me I didn't do anything... inappropriate."

"Well... there's no time to explain. We have a snake to catch." She picked up the pile of scrubs Fletch had left for them, and handed him a pair before putting her own on. Then she knelt down beside him and put her arms around him. For a moment they held each other, drawing comfort, before Hanssen stood up, drawing her to her feet. 

"We need to get to the roof. I need to call the troops."

"How do you change back into a lion?"

He looked at her. "I ... I just think lion. I know that doesn't make any sense."

She smiled tentatively. "Fine, we'll think lion, but Henrik, that doesn't mean you can mate with me."

He looked shocked. "No, of course not! Roxanna, I do intend to buy you dinner first. If you'll let me."

She slipped her hand in his. "Once this is over, we can explore our animal instincts. Right now we need to focus. Try thinking lion. I'll stay human for now so I can open the doors."

"Right. Think lion." Hanssen dropped to the ground and instantly transformed. Immediately, he sniffed at Roxanna's rear. She slapped him away.

"Stop it, Henrik. First we hunt." They continued down the corridor, Roxanna by his side, holding his mane.

 

******

 

Through the double doors, they ran straight into Steven Fletcher, who fell on his backside, Hanssen towering over him.

"Holy fuck, crap, bollocks!" He tried to crawl backwards but a heavy paw landed on his stomach, pinning him to the ground. "WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT THING?"

"Stop yelling. You're upsetting him." Roxanna tugged at Hanssen's mane.

"He's upset? What about me?"

"Let him go. He's a friend, not food." Roxanna tugged harder at Hanssen's fur, making him roar in pain. He released Steven, who scrambled to his feet.

"Food? It wants food? I've got a packet of Tesco sausage rolls in...."

"Get them." Roxanna kept hold of Hanssen's mane. Steven ran into the staff room and came out, fiddling with the packet. He lobbed a sausage roll at Hanssen, who caught it in his jaws and swallowed it whole.

"Give him all of them," Roxanna said.

"They were for my breakfast," Steven grumbled, but he chucked another sausage roll at Hanssen. "What's his name?"

"It's a long story."

Steven threw another sausage roll. This time Hanssen stood up, morphing back into human form. Steven looked him up, down and up again.

Then down.

"You forgot your kecks, mate."

Hanssen rolled his eyes and groaned. "Christ, not again."

Roxanna handed him the pair she had been holding and he put them on.

"Another sausage roll?" Steven waggled the meaty snack in front of his face. He snatched it and ate it hungrily, aware they were staring at him. He ran to the sink and poured cold water, scooping it up into his mouth to assuage his raging thirst. The food and the water made him feel better. For a moment he leaned against the counter, catching his breath.

"I was watching the news. Gaskell's saying you're gone on some psychopathic rampage, but you're a lion. That's awesome!"

"I want you and Miss Macmillan to come with me. Bring as many pairs of scrubs as you can, please. I'm going to need them." He stalked off down the corridor, not waiting for them to follow.

"Er, where are we going?" Steven asked as he trotted along beside them. 

"The roof. Just remember if I turn into a lion too, don't run. Running means you're prey. And I don't want to eat you," Roxanna said.

"I'll try to remember that."

 

 


	7. Taking the Hiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We discover John Gaskell's motives. 
> 
> Meanwhile, there's pandemonium on Keller as Dom is turned into a llama.

It was a lonely life, being a snake. John was getting fed up of being in the heating ducts, with nothing but dust bunnies for company. And for a vegetarian, having to rely on a diet of mice and rats was no joke.

Why did he have to be a snake? Why couldn't he have been a lion, like Henrik? He had watched him with Roxanna in the corridor, so close to consummating their relationship. He wanted to be with them, but just diving down there and joining in wasn't an option, just as there never had been in real life. 

He had wanted to impress Henrik. That's how it started. The man had given him a chance when all his funding had been pulled elsewhere. People had labelled him a maverick, a risk taker. Some even said he was mad. 

He preferred to call himself a visionary, and Henrik had agreed with him. 

Not any more. 

Okay, so the neo-conduit hadn't worked. It was unfortunate several people had to die before he would accept that fact. 

But moving on. THIS was the future, the ability to transmogrify, to shape shift. That was the Holy Grail. He had been keeping it strictly under wraps but Jac Naylor had ruined all that. 

He hissed, remembering Jac's angry face. Someone obviously hadn't got Holiday Barbie for Christmas one year and now everyone was paying for it. Stupid bitch deserved to be a rat, not a damned wolf.

Fortunately, he still had the antidote. With a bit of tweaking, he could choose to be the animal he wanted, rather than take pot luck. The product needed finessing, that was for sure.

He squirmed in discomfort. It wasn't easy transporting the antidote when one was a snake. And in a glass ampoule at that. He took several deep breaths and retrieved the ampoule from inside his nasal cavity. Just as well he had a large nose. 

It was time to finish this. Henrik wouldn't rest until he found him. He had his fun. Watching his colleagues turning into creatures had been hugely entertaining, especially the wombat. Chaos reigned. Somewhere on the other side of the world, a butterfly had flapped its wings for the first time.

He chuckled to himself as he ran up to the roof. All he needed to do was get over the edge, slither down the drainpipe and escape before the sun rose. Then he could disappear, and continue his work in Russia, where scientists there was eager to consult with him. 

He felt, rather than heard, a distant roar. It was time to go. Henrik was on the war path.

 

******

 

Despite his best efforts, Ric had found no evidence of an antidote down in Gaskell's lab. Meena was frantically searching through files but nothing was coming up. 

"It's no good. We just have to catch him," Ric said. "Come on. We're wasting time."

On the way back up to Keller, he called Serena to tell her the bad news. 

"For God's sake don't come in here," she said. "I've locked myself in the Ladies."

"What happened?"

"Lofty changed back into a wombat and peed all over Dom. Now he's a llama and spitting at everyone! I've got three baboons, a tapir and Jason's an owl!"

From behind her came a disconsolate "whooo."

"God, I thought a bad day in AAU was like a jungle but this is ridiculous!" She sounded as if she were losing her normal composure. "Get that snake, Ric. And when you catch him, wring his bloody neck."

"I intend to." 

He raced back to Darwin, where Frieda, Jac and Fletch were waiting. 

"What's happening? Serena called to say she isn't coming back up."

"She's stuck in the Ladies with an owl." 

"Of course. That makes complete sense," Frieda replied. "Now what?"

"It's up to us. We need to get to the roof." Ric looked at Fletch, who nodded in agreement. 

 

******

 

Hanssen made it to the roof, cautiously opening the door. He was alone. Dawn was breaking, washing the whole area in pink light. The rain had stopped, the clouds dissolving away. Large puddles formed on the tarmac floor. He padded over and took a drink, then shook his head, fluffing out his mane. 

A strange noise lured him to the edge. Cautiously, he peered over, and saw tiny figures running about, ambulances, flashing lights. Several armed police were talking in a group. Patients on gurneys were waiting to be transferred to other hospitals, but as far as he could see, no-one was going in or out of the building. 

It was now or never.

He chose his spot, looking around him for possible incoming dangers. Sensing none, he took a deep breath.

And roared.

When he stopped, the sound was still reverberating around the surrounding buildings. Below, everyone had stopped rushing around and were looking up.

He roared again, summoning his subjects. Roxanna came to stand by him and added her own voice to his.

Rhythmic thumps came closer, not from beneath, but from the side. A helicopter. It soared around them, a man hanging out of it with a large camera.

Distracted, Hanssen didn't hear Roxanna's yelp of pain. He turned to her and stared at the empty spot where she had stood. 

"Roxanna!" It came out as another roar, louder than ever.

In his peripheral vision, he could see her legs, human this time, being dragged behind a heating funnel. When he got there, she was unconscious, and a snake's tail was rapidly disappearing into the distance. He was torn, wanting to help Roxanna, but at the same time he couldn't let Gaskell escape. 

He stroked her face and whispered her name, pressing his face against hers. Her eyelids fluttered and opened. 

"Henrik!" She tried to rise and kiss him, but she was too weak, slumping in his arms. "Henrik, I'm sorry..." She passed out again. 

Ric and Serena rushed forward, Ric gathering Roxanna up in his arms. "We'll take care of her. She's just concussed. You go get that snake." He paused. "Then put some pants on."

"Right." Hanssen ran after Gaskell.

"JOHN!" Another roar. He bounded forward, claws extended.

Gaskell hissed in pain as he felt the sharp claws bite into his tail. He whirled around and wrapped himself around Hanssen, pulling him down to the floor.

Equal in strength, they rolled around, biting and slashing. Hanssen could feel his strength waning. The snake's grip was too tight, making him gasp for breath. Every time he did, the snake tightened its hold on him.... 

 

 


	8. Kill or Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A ferocious battle ensues between Henrik the lion and John the snake, but when they transform back into humans unexpectedly, misunderstandings occur.

As Fletch and Frieda ran out into the corridor, they were nearly knocked down by a rush of fur and feathers. A huge bear followed, being chased by a brown llama.

"Watch out!" Frieda pulled Fletch back as the llama let a gobbet of spit in their direction. It splattered harmlessly against the door.

"Thanks," Fletch breathed. "Come on."

They followed the crowd of animals and birds making their way to the roof. Jac was in front, leading the way.

"This has to be the weirdest sight of my life," Frieda said as they burst through the door onto the roof. She and Fletch screeched to a halt. "Forget it. THAT is the weirdest sight of my life." Her eyes were wide as she took in the scene before her. "I never thought I'd see Henrik Hanssen beating off John Gaskell with his bare hands."

"Fighting off," Fletch muttered. "It's fighting off."

She stared at him. "What's the difference?"

"Oh, a lot, believe me."

They watched as lion and snake morphed back into human form, wrestling naked in a puddle, the sun shining on their soaking bodies. John was on top of Hanssen, pinning him down, then leaping away as Hanssen morphed back into a lion. The beast pulled Gaskell to the tarmac face down, and changed again. The human man was now on top of Gaskell, wrapping his long leg around him to stop him wriggling. 

But it was too late. Gaskell morphed into the snake, winding round and round his body, squeezing the air out of his lungs. Just as Hanssen's vision began to fade, the grip released slightly and he was looking into John's eyes. They sparkled with mad joy. 

"This is the best fun we've had in years," he said, rolling Hanssen onto his back. "Pity we have an audience. I could educate you in more ways than you could possibly imagine." 

"I don't doubt it, but John, this is ridiculous. You can't possibly get away with what you've done. Not now. If you believe that, you're deluded." Hanssen gave Gaskell a shove but was taken with him, locked in Gaskell's arms. "For God's sake, let me go and stop this unedifying spectacle." He forced himself to relax a little, to make Gaskell think he was giving in. The feel of John's naked skin against his was ... unnerving. 

"What will it take to make me stop?" Gaskell whispered. 

"A bullet in the backside when the police get up here. It doesn't have to be that way if you just accept ..."

"What? Accept what, Henrik? Don't you realise why all this has happened?"

"Because you let the size of your ego outweigh the benefits to science?"

"Ouch." Gaskell rubbed his nose against Hanssen's. "I'll make a deal with you. Kiss me and I'll turn myself in."

Hanssen's eyes widened. "Wh ... what?"

John heaved a sigh, squiggling against Hanssen's long body. "I'd be happy to stay here all day but it's cold, I'm hungry and I need to sleep. You heard me. You and I, Roxanna, we could have been so good together."

"I never knew you felt that way, John. Why didn't you say something before?"

"And risk losing my funding? I couldn't do it. Nothing but the work, Henrik."

"And look where that's brought you. Surely you deserve happiness as well as recognition?"

"Well, right now I wouldn't be anywhere else. So what do you say, Henrik? You want to kill me, or kiss me?"

 

******

 

The animals were gradually changing back into human beings, realising they were now nude and running back inside before anyone else spotted them. The cold November morning was not doing the men any favours. 

Fletch, Frieda and Jac looked on in bewilderment. 

"Looks like they are having a bondage session," Frieda commented. 

"What?" Jac glared at her in disbelief. 

"You mean bonding," Fletch said wearily. 

Frieda shrugged. "That too." 

"Why are we standing here, doing nothing? This is stupid." Jac moved forward but Fletch held her back. 

"You really want to interrupt that? And if you go out there, you'll be on prime time TV, stark naked.""

"Oh Jesus." Jac looked away from where Gaskell and Hanssen were locked in a deep kiss, both visibly enjoying the experience. "Just tell me when it's over."

"Round about now," Fletch said, watching in horror as Gaskell's body began to transform into the tail of the snake, winding around Hanssen, who looked as if he had been hypnotised. His head fell back and he gasped for breath as Gaskell slowly began to suffocate him. 

"Some people do this for pleasure," he hissed. "What are you feeling, Henrik? I don't want to kill you but I will, even in your moment of ecstasy. It will be the best death you could possibly wish for."

Hanssen began to struggle, but the past few moments had drained him of everything but the feel of Gaskell's mouth and his body pressed against his. All the possibilities rushed through his mind with the feel and taste of Gaskell's tongue against his own. The more oxygen he was deprived of, the more exotic those possibilities became. Even through his rush of pleasure he was losing consciousness, the edges of his vision turning grey to black.

"We're losing him!" Fletch said.

 "No, we're not." Jac sprung forward, teeth bared, and bit the snake on the back of the neck, causing it to thrash and release Hanssen, who lay gasping, trying to suck oxygen back into his lungs. Jac and Gaskell rolled on the ground, Jac changing back into her human self. Gaskell grabbed her hair and yanked it back, causing her to scream in pain and outrage. She drove her fist into Gaskell's face, but he ducked, lightning quick, hissing loudly and slipping out from her legs. His tail slapped her hard across the face, knocking her to the ground.

"Help!" From Fletch.

Hanssen blinked. He couldn't believe the sight of his Director of Nursing holding on to the snake's tail, being dragged across the roof. Frieda grasped his legs, trying to stop them both from going over the edge. She braced her foot against the ledge and glared at Hanssen.

"Don't just stand there. Do something!"

Together they grasped the snake, gradually heaving it back from over the edge of the hospital. Jac limped over and joined in, pulling hand over hand.

Slowly, finally, the creature was back on the roof, Jac sitting on the neck, preventing it from flipping back. Fletch and Frieda sat on the snake's back, holding down the thrashing tail.  

Hanssen stood on the tail, stilling it. He was exhausted and covered in sweat, rainwater and blood from various cuts sustained during their fight.  He slowly regained his breath.

"Is he secured?"

"Yes," Fletch, Jac and Frieda answered in unison. 

"For the love of God, man, put something on," Jac muttered.

Hanssen nodded. "Yes, of course." He looked around for some scrub trousers. Steven was standing in the doorway, looking stunned. He wordlessly handed them to him. 

As Hanssen walked towards him, he felt a sharp sting in his backside. Looking around, he saw a dart with a red tip sticking up from his skin. Instantly, he knew what it was. A tranquilliser. As the realisation came, the world began to tilt. His vision blurred and his limbs were becoming heavy. 

"Oh no..." He crashed to the floor and sprawled at Steven's feet, unconscious. 

Fletch looked up and saw his father, staring at Hanssen's prone body. 

"What did you do?"

"Nothing! He just went down like a cut tree."

Fletch, Jac and Frieda were still struggling to keep Gaskell still. He was grumbling and muttering beneath them. 

"Dad, get over here. Sit on the snake."

"Er... no thanks."

Jac gave him a full-wattage glare. "Steven, get over here. Now."

Steven perched on the fattest part of the snake, next to Fletch. They all edged up to make room for him.

"So now what?" He asked.

"We wait for the cavalry."

He nodded, and looked appreciatively at Jac's bottom. "Okay. Nice tail, by the way."

"Don't say that," from Jac and Fletch together.

"Sorry."

They waited.

 

 

 


	9. Beast Uncaged

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanssen finds himself in even more trouble. Can Roxanna save him?

"For the love of God, I'm human!"

Hanssen sat on the floor of his cage, his hands the only things protecting his nakedness from the hidden onlookers. "Talk to Roxanna Macmillan, Ric Griffin or Serena Campbell. They'll tell you the whole thing if you don't believe me." He buried his head in his hands and sobbed with frustration and despair.

"We're working on it. Calm down, Mr. Hanssen." The disembodied voice floated from a speaker high in the room outside his cage.

He was trapped, the bars all round him offering no privacy whatsoever. As far as he could ascertain, he was being observed around the clock. There was a small cubicle in one corner with a bucket, but that was the only comfort. Oh, and the straw they had provided for him to sleep on.

"Calm down?" He repeated. "CALM DOWN?!?" The words ended in a roar as his claws extended. In the next moment, he was prowling around the cage, growling under his breath.

An outer door opened and two men appeared, holding a bucket and a long-handled prong. As he watched, they speared a large chunk of meat on the prong and shoved the meat through the cage, rapidly backing away as he pounced on the meal.

As they walked away, he hurled the slab of prime beef at them, hitting one of them on the back. With an effort he changed back to human.

"Keep your rotten meat," he snarled. "If you want to see me eat, bring me medium rare fillet steak and lightly steamed vegetables. Nothing less. This is a damned outrage!" He grabbed the bars and screamed at them.

"This isn't helping," the voice said. "If you want to prove you're not a danger to others, you need to start talking."

"I've nothing to say."

"Tell us where John Gaskell is."

"What? You mean, you've lost him? How? There were four people sitting on that snake!" He couldn't believe it. What kind of incompetents were they?

"Human error. He escaped from the transport truck. Where is he heading?"

"How the hell should I know?"

"You know him better than anyone."

Hanssen slumped down on the bottom of the cage. "I thought I did, but it seems I hardly knew him at all."

"You were kissing him. Don't deny it because the footage was on prime time television all yesterday."

Hanssen groaned, massaging his temples. "That doesn't mean I know him, does it? Haven't you ever kissed a complete stranger? Talk to Roxanna. Please." He swallowed to stop another sob from escaping. "Please just do that for me."

 

******

 

He lost track of the time of day. It could have been any time during the day or night. There were no windows, no doors leading towards natural light. Nothing. He drank some water out of the container provided and curled up on the straw and went to sleep, because right then, it was the only thing worth doing.

_Henrik?_

His eyes opened. He was alone. And he was still a lion. The nightmare he was living was still very much real.

Or maybe not. There was a familiar smell, comforting, delicious. He looked around and saw a lioness, watching him closely.

His mate.

She padded over to him and rubbed her head against his. 

_I'm here. Don't worry, my love. They're just testing the antidote to make sure its safe. You'll be free soon._

He returned her affectionate rubbing. _How come you're here? How can we even understand each other?_

Roxanna purred, rubbing her head under his chin.

_We're bonded mates...._

He sat up. _Since when?_

She rolled on her back in front of him. _Well, you did try to mate with me before, but we had work to do first_.

_And now? There's nothing else for us to do, is there?_ He nipped her gently on her shoulder, his ardour rising.

She flipped over again, almost as if she remembered why she had been put in with him. Her roar made him back away.

_They're testing us, Henrik. We must fight the urge to mate so they can see we're human. Get off me!_ She gave him another hard shove as he tried to move in on her again. 

Hanssen flopped down on his belly, grumbling under his breath. It was bad enough not having decent food, but to have a mate right there and not be able to mate with her, that was too much. 

_Remember you're human._ She lay down a little way from him, keeping him in sight. _You're Henrik Hanssen, a gentleman and an honourable human being. You're not an animal._

Hanssen let out a huff and rested his head on his paws. 

After a while, Roxanna curled against him and together they snoozed. There was really nothing else they could do at that stage.

 

******

 

When he woke again, she had gone. He felt groggy, as if he had been drinking heavily the night before. A dull ache in his hind quarters betrayed they had drugged him again, but he couldn't think why. He was still in the same damned cage, with the same bucket for a toilet. 

Yet something was different. The intense internal heat coursing throughout his body was fading, almost to nothing. He stood up, human again, and went to the bars, gripping them tightly. 

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

He felt a profound sense of loneliness, not knowing if anyone was watching him. Had they abandoned him? It felt like it. Without Roxanna by his side, he was empty, a shell of a man. 

The door opened, and there she was, her light scent wafting towards him as she walked, then ran to the cage, holding his hands in her own. Someone was behind her, dressed in Army fatigues, holding a bunch of keys and some kind of clothing. She was smiling. 

"It's over." She stroked his face with the back of her hand. "It's all right, Henrik. We're free."

He should have felt exhilarated, but instead, a wave of anger rushed through him, focussing on the man now opening the door of the cage. He ran at him, throwing him back against the bars, his hand on the terrified man's throat. 

"Who are you people?"

"Henrik!" Roxanna looked shocked, her eyes wide. "Put him down. It isn't his fault. Henrik, do as I say. Now."

Her stern voice brought him back to his senses. He dropped the man and backed away. "Sorry," he muttered. 

To his consternation, the man smiled nervously. "I understand, Mr. Hanssen. This has been a terrible ordeal." He handed over the garment he had been holding. It was a soft dressing gown. 

Hanssen sighed with pleasure as he put it on. Never had he been so grateful for something so simple. 

"Come on. I'll show you somewhere you can shower and dress." 

Hanssen and Roxanna followed him out of the door, into a bright corridor. It looked like a hospital, but Hanssen ascertained it was some kind of military establishment, judging by the uniforms worn by the staff. On the way, Roxanna told him what had been going on. 

"Everyone has now had the antidote. It took three days to test it, but everyone is fine. They're cleaning up the hospital as we speak. Of course, we need you back there, taking charge. Everyone misses you, Henrik."

"What about John? He's still out there, causing mayhem."

"The authorities believe he's left the country. There's an international search for him ongoing. Security around the hospital has been stepped up. All we can do is be vigilant. The chances are he will try to contact one of us at some point. When he does, we can alert the police."

Hanssen nodded. It was the best he could hope for, and he couldn't help feeling relieved that his old friend hadn't been harmed. There was still hope for him to see sense, if he did reach out to either himself of Roxanna.

"So I just walk back into Holby and resume my position as CEO? My presence there is hardly tenable at the moment, is it? Not after ..." He shuddered, thinking of the footage of him and John, kissing passionately on the roof top, naked. He couldn't deny he had enjoyed the experience. In fact, thinking about it caused a flutter in his lower stomach. 

Lower than that, if he was honest. 

Roxanna slipped her hand in his. "I think people are a lot more accepting than you give them credit for. After all, you would do anything to protect the hospital. Absolutely anything. Her eyes were serious, but her mouth seemed to be holding back a smile. "Who knows what the future holds, Henrik? Right now we have a job to do, to get Holby back on track and make it the centre of excellence it was before John arrived. After that, we might need to go on a safari trip."

He frowned down at her. "Safari?" It dawned on him. "Snake hunting," he whispered.

She nodded, casting a look at the nearby soldiers. "In more ways than one," she whispered back, giving him a saucy wink. "Go have your shower. You smell like a zoo."

 

******

 

"And this was in the Sun," Dom showed the footage of Hanssen and Gaskell to Lofty on his iPad. "Looks like our boss is part of the rainbow family now." 

Lofty scratched his head. "I always miss the good stuff. It wasn't much fun being a wombat. I honestly thought he was going to eat me."

"The likelihood of that happening is extremely remote, Nurse Chiltern."

The familiar voice made them spin round. Dom hid the iPad behind his back, but his guilty expression gave him away. 

Hanssen held out his hand for the device. Reluctantly, Dom gave it to him. "Mr. Hanssen, I was just..."

"Explaining to Nurse Chiltern the importance of not using hospital property for personal entertainment, no doubt." He glanced down at the image, then gave it a longer look, his face unreadable.

"I ... yes," Dom spluttered, his face bright red. 

"Good. Attend to your patients, please." Hanssen handed back the iPad and went on his way. 

 

******

 

It was good to be back, prowling around the wards, an omnipotent presence in a three piece suit, with the ability to loom over people without them even realising he was there. The atmosphere in the hospital was tense but with a sense of purpose. Staff seemed to be incredibly busy whenever they heard his footsteps. It was just as it should be. 

He saw Roxanna talking to a patient in one of the last beds. For a moment he paused to take in her neat figure in the short skirt, silky blouse and neat cap of blonde hair. She radiated empathy and professionalism, even when she sensed his attention and smiled at him. As he watched, she left the patient and walked towards him. There was a little wiggle to her hips that hadn't been there before, a slight invitation in her eyes. 

"Mr. Hanssen, can I help you?"

"I believe you can, Miss Macmillan. Come to my office in one hour." As he turned away from her, he allowed himself to smile. 

Oh yes, things were definitely right in his world again. 

 

 

 

 


	10. Tail's End

On the roof, Jac and Fletch sat on the edge of the building, looking out over the city lights. 

"Quite a day," Fletch said. "Unforgettable."

"You could say that." Jac was being customarily tight-lipped about the whole thing, her tail neatly curled around her body. Their hands were very close, not quite touching.

"I mean, seeing you...."

"Don't."

Fletch took a deep breath. "I wasn't going to mention seeing you in the buff. I mean, that was unforgettable but..."

"Do you want to take the stairs down or shall I give you a push?"

"I meant you sniffing Hanssen's bollocks. That was definitely a highlight."

Jac looked at him. "You're never going to mention that again," she said evenly.

"I've never seen a bloke go as white as he did." He grinned widely. "Fuck me, that was the funniest thing ever."

"Hilarious. I'm sure he feels the same."

"Doubt it. He tried to mate with Roxanna then snogged Gaskell on national telly." 

They were silent for a few moments. 

Jac snorted with laughter first, laughing so hard she fell on her back on the roof, helpless, tail thumping madly. Fletch joined her, giggling and gazing up at the stars. As their fingers brushed together, he slipped his hand in hers. She didn't notice at first, but when she did, she did not move away.

As the laughter ceased, they just lay there, hand in hand. 

"So what now?" Fletch asked. 

"We go home, hug the kids and be glad we're not baboons."

"Right." 

More silence. 

"Is that, you go home and I go home and we both carry on as normal tomorrow? Or we go get Emma, and then you both come back to mine?"

Jac shook her head. "Why do you always have to complicate things?"

Fletch hesitated. "I'm not. I just ..."

"We go back, get Emma. Steven can meet us with yours at Pizza Express. Then he takes them home and you come back to mine. Simple."

Fletch paused. "Right. So that means..."

Jac looked impatiently at him. "Yes, Fletch. What ever you think it means, that's what I mean."

His hand tightened around hers. "So can I officially say, my girlfriend is a dog?"

 

******

 

Roxanna was curled comfortably on the bed, snoozing. Henrik's leg draped over hers as he spooned around her. They were both exhausted, a faint sheen of perspiration on their bodies from their exertions. He stirred and buried his face in her neck, inhaling her delicious fragrance, then felt more stirring further down his body. 

 _Not again._  

The scientists had said the antidote had eradicated all the lion cells from his and Roxanna's bodies, but he knew for sure they had both changed irrevocably. 

After all, it made no sense they had barely been out of the bedroom since arriving back at Roxanna's house. All they had done was eat, have sex and sleep. 

Not that he was complaining. It was just rather out of character for both of them. 

Now he was aware of another strange sensation, coupled with a meaty purring close to his ear. 

Cleo, Roxanna's aloof, enormous and indulged Maine Coon cat, was sitting on his shoulder, paddling his skin with her front paws. 

Usually they ignored each other with mutual distain, but now she was positively loving on him, rubbing his ear with stiff whiskers, then licking at him. 

"Grrrrrr!" He lifted his head and growled, but the cat was not easily thwarted. Instead, she jumped down and settled in the hollow of Henrik's stomach, her claws unnervingly close to his groin. The purring continued and the message was clear. She wanted in on their loving cuddles. 

The presence of Cleo put paid to any amorous intentions Henrik might have had towards Roxanna. Cleo shifted again and draped herself over both of their bodies, almost as if claiming them. 

Resigned, Henrik relaxed back against the pillows, idly stroking the cat, luxuriating in Roxanna's warmth. There was an empty space on the other side of him where John should have been. One day he would talk to Roxanna, and maybe they would see if they could track him down. 

Until then, this was his life now, and he was happy.

 

******

 

John Gaskell stood on the prow of the container ship bound for the Far East, with Jupiter lighting their path. It was easy to stow away on board, surviving on a diet of rats, keeping out of sight of the ship's crew. He had one small case with him, containing a change of clothes and his notebook with the formulas for the shapeshifting potion, the antidote, plus a tiny vial of the original potion. In China he would be met by a representative of the Weng Corporation, a shadowy organisation who had long expressed an interest in him and his work. 

Nothing but the work...

Yet as the ship cruised slowly away from the West, he had left behind a part of him he could never get back. Henrik and Roxanna, the only family he had ever known, the only people he had ever loved. All he had was a fading memory of a kiss, and the hope, however tiny, that Henrik Hanssen would want to track him down, and continue the work he once believed in. One kiss, maybe two. 

There was always hope.

Voices warned him the crew were strolling the decks. He slipped into his serpent form and slithered back into the bowels of the vessel, to wait for journey's end.

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
